Azure Analysis Services now available in Southeast Asia and East US 2

Last year in October Azure released the preview of Azure Analysis Services, which is built on the proven analytics engine in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services. With Azure Analysis Services you can host semantic data models in the cloud. Users in your organisation can then connect to your data models using tools like Excel, Power BI and many others to create reports and perform ad-hoc data analysis.

Just announced is the preview of Azure Analysis Services is now available in 2 additional regions: Southeast Asia and East US 2. This means that Azure Analysis Services is now available in the following regions: Southeast Asia, North Europe, West Europe, West US, South Central US, East US 2 and West Central US.

Microsoft files patent for under water datacentres

Following up on the project known as ‘Project Natick’ Microsoft has applied for a patent titled ‘artificial reef datacenter’. The intent is to combine cost efficient datacenters with artificial reefs built around them that will help promote marine life and create safe ecosystems in oceans, rivers and lakes.

According to the patent application, Microsoft’s scheme is to create submerged datacenters that will also operate as sanctuaries for undersea life. The lead author of the patent application is Ben Cutler, leader of ‘Project Natick‘.

Despite the fact that the patent does not go into great detail, the patent images speak for themselves, displaying plans for an artificial reef that will act as host for a pressure vessel containing the data center.

Using submerged data centers Microsoft expects to offer shelter to oceanic, river and lake marine life, while at the same time providing ‘edge speeds’ to large city areas situated close to the sea.

Microsoft cloud gets Pentagon’s top security reading

The Pentagon has given the highest security rating for unclassified data to Microsoft’s federal cloud offerings, Azure Government and a Defense Department-specific iteration of Office 365. The Microsoft services were granted Level 5 provisional authority.

Azure Automation now available in UK (Cardiff & London) and West Central US regions

Azure Automation allows you to schedule your favourite PowerShell scripts in the cloud with a task scheduler on steroids. You can setup global variables assets on the platform itself, secure credentials and several runbooks. You can even use Azure Automation to run runbook scripts on-premise.